The Tory troops came out in force on Thursday to elect the 26-year-old as the new MSP for Dumfriesshire.

And Finlay Carson made it a double for the Conservatives when he took the seat for Galloway and West Dumfries.

As well as putting an end to Labour stalwart Elaine Murray’s 17-year career in politics, Oliver Mundell saw off the challenge of SNP candidate Joan McAlpine and the Lib Dem’s Richard Brodie.

Oliver, who is the son of the Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell, said: “Thank you for putting your trust in me, I won’t let you down.”

He’d always said politics wasn’t for him, but Oliver Mundell “caught the bug” during the 2014 Referendum campaign and decided to “stand up and be counted.”

He claims he has no intention of following in his father’s illustrious footsteps, but he does intend to “follow his example”.

Following the announcement of his success, the first thing Oliver did was pay tribute to Elaine Murray, thanking her for “dedicating herself to putting Dumfriesshire first” since the creation of the Scottish Parliament 17 years ago.

He then went on to declare that his “number one priority” is to ensure the progression of duelling the A75 in a bid to boost the local economy.

Earlier in the night, he told the Standard that during his hard-fought campaign, the message he was getting from local people is that Dumfries and Galloway is the “forgotten part of Scotland."

“That’s what I want to change,” he said.

“All I want to do is make sure the people in this region get the representation I think they’ve been lacking over the last few years.

“I won’t let you down; thank you for putting your trust in me.”

Proud dad, David, was one of the first people to arrive at the Easterbrook Hall on Thursday night, admitting he was more nervous waiting to find out if his son had won the Dumfriesshire vote than when he was standing for election himself.

“Oliver had a strong campaign, knocking on 10,000 doors and proving he was well up for the job,” he said.

“He’s been involved in debates and has been under a lot of national scrutiny, but he’s here on his own merits and is going to make a great MSP.

“Politics isn’t a job, it’s a way of life, and Oliver has had an insight into that life for many years.

“He was really fired up by the Referendum, and has worked hard since then to prove what he’s capable of.

“To be the first father and son elected to the Scottish Parliament is a little footnote in history I’m going to be very proud of.”